by Kathy Love
Jolee watched nervously as he reached for the cuff of his sleeve, and she wondered if he had a knife or some other weapon hidden under the innocuous brown tweed. A stake maybe. What if he thought she was a vampire? She backed a little farther down the bar. But he simply checked his silver wristwatch.
“It will be about three more hours before he rises.”
Jolee hoped that didn’t mean he intended to stay here for that amount of time. He lifted his glass, draining the rest of the liquor.
“Well, perhaps I shall do a little sightseeing,” he said, and set the glass down on the bar. “It’s lovely country here.”
She nodded, just wanting him to go.
He pulled out his wallet and held out a ten to her. She hesitated, then took the bill. She only half turned away from him as she rang up the drink. The cash drawer dinged, the small sound loud and unnerving in her ears. She quickly gave him his change.
“Thank you for the drink,” he said, placing a tip on the bar. “And for the directions.”
She nodded. After the door closed behind him, she rushed over to twist the lock. Then she crept to the window, watching until his car, a silver sedan, left the parking lot.
You just couldn’t ever tell about people. She shook her head and went back to work.
Jolee greeted Christian as soon as he entered the bar. “I have to tell you about the guy who came in here today while I was putting away stock.”
“Okay.” Even though she didn’t seem particularly upset, he worried that “the guy” was somehow connected to Vance or her hometown, and he hated that he couldn’t be with her when she came into work early. Maybe he could convince her to hire someone to open the bar. If Dr. Fowler could help him, she’d soon have to anyway.
“Okay,” she said as if she was preparing for a big story. “This man came into the bar—»
“If I wasn’t concerned with the fact that you are telling me that the door was unlocked while you working here alone, I’d think you were setting up a joke.”
“Well, it had to be some sort of joke. Even though he seemed awfully serious. He was a harmless enough guy, except he was in town to go to, of all places, Shady Fork Mobile Estates, to meet, get this…»
Christian’s stomach sank before she even finished the sentence.
“A vampire.” She waited as though she expected him to burst out laughing or at least frown in worried dismay. But he couldn’t do either. Oh, he was dismayed, but mainly because this Fowler character had already arrived and announced that there was a vampire living in Shady Fork Mobile Estates. He had asked Rhys to contact the doctor again and tell him they didn’t need his help yet. He hardly expected the man to show up so soon. And going around town telling people there were vampires in their midst? Christian was starting to side with Sebastian on the legitimacy of this supposed doctor.
“Christian?” she finally questioned when he didn’t react. “Isn’t that the craziest thing?”
He nodded vaguely.
She frowned. “What’s wrong? You look pale.”
“It… it just scares me that you could have been hurt.”
She smiled. “No, he was harmless. I think.”
Just then, Rhys, Jane, and Sebastian strode into the bar. Rhys and Jane both looked concerned, and Sebastian wore a general look of disgust. Christian groaned silently. He didn’t think their expressions were a good sign.
“Christian, can I talk to you for a moment?” Rhys asked, forcing an easy smile at Jolee. Christian didn’t think she bought the look, but she smiled back.
“Sure. I’ll be right back,” Christian told Jolee. He could tell she wanted to ask what was going on, but she just nodded.
Jane stayed at the bar, but Sebastian followed them.
“Dr. Fowler is here,” Rhys said as soon as they were outside in the parking lot.
“And he’s a loon,” Sebastian added.
Rhys frowned at him.
“Well, he is,” Sebastian said.
“I know he’s here,” Christian said. “Would you believe he showed up at the bar for a drink and told Jolee he was here to see a vampire?”
“What?” Rhys said.
“See.” Sebastian shook his head. “Loon. Total loon.”
“I’m starting to agree,” Christian stated, “but at the moment I’m a little more concerned with Jolee. She thought the man was a nut, but now I don’t know what to do. It was going to be hard enough to tell her about me— us— without Fowler breaking the news first.”
“Are you going to tell her?” Rhys asked.
“I don’t know.” Christian knew he had to do something. But he didn’t know how. If he’d been able to break the news slowly, maybe he could have eased her into the idea. Oh, who was he kidding? There was no easing anyone into the idea of vampirism. But Fowler really hadn’t helped the situation.
“You should tell her,” Sebastian said with a definitive nod. “She’ll accept you. I can tell.”
Both Christian and Rhys gave him a dubious look.
“What?” Sebastian said defensively. “If there is one thing I know, it’s women, and she loves you, man. She’ll understand. Just go slow. And be sincere.”
“Like you know about sincere,” Rhys said flatly.
Sebastian sneered.
Christian ignored his brothers, trying to decide what to do. Fowler had sort of thrown the information out on the table, but he was the one who had to tell her. And he did have to. If he wanted a future with her, he had to. She deserved the truth. And if she couldn’t accept him, he’d let her go. It was the honorable thing to do. And he wanted to be honorable, for her.
“Okay, I’m going to do it.”
“Good,” Sebastian said.
Rhys nodded.
They entered the bar, and Christian strode directly to the bar and to Jolee.
“Jolee, I need to talk to you.”
She hesitated as if she didn’t want to talk. As if she was afraid of what he was going to tell her. Did she guess?
“Okay.” She nodded. “Do you want to talk in my office?”
“Could we go somewhere a little more private?”
“Well, I can’t leave the bar,” she pointed out.
“Sure you can.” Sebastian stepped forward. “Rhys and I run a nightclub. We can handle the bar for a while.”
She looked at his brothers apprehensively.
“It’s okay,” Jane assured her. “We’ll do a good job.”
Jane’s promise seemed to pacify Jolee, and she nodded. “Okay.”
Christian waited while she walked down the length of the bar and joined him. He could feel her anxiety as she fell into step beside him; it was an oppressive feeling on his skin. He wanted to take the emotion away, but he knew it was going to get worse before it got better.
CHAPTER 29
Jolee sat in Christian’s car, unable to calm her racing heart or relax back against the seat. What was he going to tell her? She kept chanting to calm down, but her body wouldn’t listen. She simply had too much bad news and negative experiences in her life to let herself believe this would be any different.
She managed to throw a quick glance over at Christian, but he was focused on the road, his jaw set, his expression grim.
Dread filled her. This wasn’t good.
He parked the car in front of her trailer, and came around to open the door for her, but she couldn’t wait for him. She was too nervous.
He stood back and waited for her to close the door, then he let her lead him into the trailer. Once inside, they both just stood there.
Finally the tension was simply too much.
“What is going on, Christian?” she demanded.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stared down at the floor as if the worn beige linoleum was suddenly fascinating.
“Please,” she said, “tell me. You’re scaring me.”
He looked up then. “That’s why I don’t want to tell you. I never, never wanted to frighten you.”
Her chest tightened and she found it hard to breathe. He was frightening her, very much. But now they couldn’t not go forward. She knew he had something awful to tell her, and as much as she’d like to just go back and pretend there was no problem, there was.
“Is it about your family? Or you?”
“All of us.”
She couldn’t imagine what it could be. They were a great family. They hadn’t even hesitated to forgive Christian for Lilah. They hadn’t hesitated to take her in and make her feel a part of them.
“Are… are you in the mafia?” She knew it was a lame suggestion but one of the only ones she could think of.
He frowned. “No.”
“A cult?” she added almost jokingly.
He paused at that.
Oh God, they were in a cult. Although she hadn’t noticed Christian having any odd religious beliefs. She didn’t notice that with any of them. And what cult would let its members own a nightclub? That didn’t seem to add up.
But Christian said slowly, “I guess you could say, we are in a cult of sorts.”
She frowned now, waiting for him to continue.
Instead of giving a description of their beliefs and strange rituals, he said, “You know the man who came in today?”
She nodded. Was he a member, too?
“He was here to see me.”
This was the big news? She stared at him, confused. That the odd man in the tweed coat was here to see… Her eyes widened.
He nodded at the realization in her eyes. “I’m the vampire.”
Jolee gaped at him. Was he serious? He sure looked serious. Dead serious. She laughed slightly at her pun. This was crazy.
He still just watched her, no amusement on his perfect features.
“You are kidding, right? Sebastian set you up to this, didn’t he? I can tell he’s a joker.”
He shook his head. “I was born in 1795. In England. That makes me two hundred and ten years old.”
She stared at him again, then shook her head. “There is no such thing as vampires.”
“Yes, there are. I’m one. My brothers. Jane.”
Jane? Jane, the girl next door, sweet and friendly?
“This is ridiculous,” she stated, getting irritated. Why was he telling her this? What was the point? It wasn’t funny. It was creepy.
“Why are you telling me this?” she demanded out loud.
“Jolee,” he said almost coaxingly. “I didn’t want to, but I had to. You deserve to know.”
“Deserve to know you are insane?” She stepped back from him.
“I know it does sound insane. I know. But it’s the truth. Lilah was a vampire. She made me a vampire, and she made my brothers vampires, as well.”
She couldn’t even think what to say. He wasn’t relenting on this. He didn’t think this was a joke, he believed it. She could see his conviction in his pale eyes.
Rage filled her. She loved this man. She trusted him, and he was telling her something stupid like this. She suddenly didn’t know who this guy was.
“Lilah was a vampire?” she asked slowly.
“Yes.”
“And you’re a vampire?”
“Yes.”
“Show me,” she said suddenly. “Show me you’re a vampire.”
He stared at for a moment, but then looked away. Finally he admitted, “I can’t.”
“Why not?” she almost taunted, her anger making her rude. “If you are a vampire, shouldn’t you have fangs and turn into a bat and all that good stuff?”
“Yes,” he said. “But I can’t. Since I’ve been here I’ve stopped using my abilities, and now it’s like my vampirism has gone dormant. That was why I wanted to meet Dr. Fowler. I had hoped he could help me.”
Dr. Fowler? Oh yes, the crazy in the tweed.
“Help you bite?”
“Yes.”
This was just nuts. Then she recalled something the man had said. “He was here to help you bite so you could mate.”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“With me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God!” She covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God.”
“Jolee, I know this is a lot to absorb.”
“Absorb? I don’t intend to absorb this. You are crazy.”
He started to step toward her to speak again, but she put up a hand to stop him.
“No. I don’t want to hear any more.”
“Jolee, I love you.”
She laughed bitterly. “Well, this is an interesting way of showing it.”
Her emotions were strangling her, rage, fear, hurt, disappointment. “You know what? You need to go.”
When he didn’t move, she pointed at the door. “Now.”
He hesitated, then nodded. Without another word, he left, leaving her in the kitchen to stare at the closed door.
She remained in the kitchen, staring blankly for… she had no idea how long. Then she finally crossed to turn the lock and barricade the door with one of her folding chairs.
What had just happened? She didn’t even know. She couldn’t believe any of it. Christian, the man she’d made love with, worked with, trusted more than anyone in her life, the man she loved, had just told her he was a vampire. It was so crazy she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She couldn’t believe it.
He’d said he was as bad as the men she’d dated in the past. But he was wrong. He was worse. Because he’d made her love him, and then he’d revealed that he was insane.
She closed her eyes and tried to pull in calming breath. But a ragged, frantic laugh escaped instead. Why? God, why was this happening? She’d loved him. She’d thought she’d found the perfect man.. Finally.
How had he acted so normal? Okay, he was never normal. He was always far different from anyone she’d ever met. But he hadn’t acted insane. She paced her living room, trying to understand how a person could just suddenly say what he had. It didn’t make sense.
She paused, looking out her window at his darkened trailer. He did stay up all night. But she’d woken him up many times during the day. Shouldn’t he be dead or something during the day?
“Why are you even questioning this?” she asked herself. “He’s crazy. You have just made the mistake of falling for another loser. Again.”
Except she knew that wasn’t true. She’d never fallen for any other man. Not like she had for Christian. And that was why this hurt. It hurt so much she could barely breathe.
A vampire? Why a vampire? Because he was nuts. There didn’t have to be any reasoning behind his choice.
He did get pale a lot.
“So he’s sick. He probably needs medication.”
He was very strong.
“So he’s physically fit.”
Why was she trying to find things that supported his delusion? Was she that desperate for a man? No, she was just that desperate for him.
Then she remembered the list on his fridge. His twelve steps to being human. He had that because he believed he was a vampire. Nausea filled her. All the time they’d been together he’d believed he was a vampire. Although it wasn’t like it mattered when he believed it. He did believe it.
She collapsed onto one of her folding chairs and dropped her face into her hands. She wasn’t going to cry. But she’d never wanted to more.
Her heart was broken. And she’d left her bar in the hands of a family of wanna-be vampires.
“How did it go?” Rhys asked as soon as Christian entered the bar.
“Great. She’s pissed, and she thinks I’m a lunatic.”
“She’ll come around,” Sebastian assured him.
Yeah, she’d come around and realize she was insane herself to have feelings for him. And who could blame her? Jolee just wanted someone normal. She wanted a man to stand by her side and love her. Even if she ever did believe him, she wouldn’t want his lifestyle. She’d been on the outside looking in for her whole life. Why would she become an even bigger outcast than her last name had made her? She
wouldn’t. And Christian knew it had been just another selfish act on his part to expect that of her.
Christian kept the bar going the remainder of the night along with his brothers and Jane. He’d closed up, putting all the money in a zippered bank bag that Jolee had in her desk. He’d bring it home with him since she didn’t have a new safe yet— one oversight when he was replacing items.
He wrote her a note, telling her he had the money and he’d drop it off tomorrow. He didn’t add that that would be the last time he’d see her. He imagined that was implied.
“Was Jolee not feeling well tonight?” Jed asked as he slid off his stool and headed toward the back door.
“No,” Christian said.
Jed nodded. “You don’t look too well yourself.”
He shrugged. He didn’t care about himself, only Jolee. Was she okay? He hoped so. He hoped she would go on and forget about him. She deserved to be happy, and if he couldn’t give her that, then he prayed she found happiness with another. The idea made him ache, made him want to shout out in pain, but he had to let her go.
“You two had a fight, eh?”
He blinked at Jed. A fight? He wished. He could apologize for a fight. He could make amends. He couldn’t make amends for who he was, aside from just leaving her alone.
“A bit more than a fight, Jed. I don’t think you will be seeing me around much anymore.”
“Why? What happened?”
“Let’s just say we’re too different.” He assumed the old man would think he was saying that he didn’t fit in with her and her life. After all, when he started here, he didn’t. Now, this stupid, rundown bar was exactly where he wanted to be. But he should have known better about this shrewd old man.
“Give her time. It takes us mortals a little time to wrap our minds around beings like you.”
Christian stared at him. “Mortals? Beings like me?”
Jed shrugged with nonchalance. “You don’t live behind a bar for thirty years and not see a few things.”
Jed’s blue gaze actually unnerved Christian. How could this man be so wise, so blasé about what he was saying? He didn’t consider insulting the old man’s intelligence.